My first thought when I received the new Dove Men+Care Expert Shave Range was, “What, now Dove wants me to believe that it has a legitimate premium shave product offering?”

But after using it extensively, the Dove brand has done a fantastic job and delivered a high-end shaving experience that I truly did not expect.

The Expert Shave Range consists of three steps — Pre-Shave, Shave and Post-Shave — and consists of five products. You can use them individually, but to get the most out of your shave, you’ll want to use each piece available in concert, just like Voltron.

Pre-Shave

Exfoliating Pre-Shave Scrub ($21.99) – What I liked the most was that even though my skin was being exfoliated and my skin was being prepped for a shave, it never felt dried out or flaky. The scrub hydrates as it cleanses. I used it in non-shaveable areas like my forehead and behind my ears and it was equally effective.

Softening Pre-Shave Oil ($21.99) – Now that your skin has effectively had it’s top ripped off, the last thing you want to do is drag a stiff, cold razor across it, which is an absolute recipe for irritation. The pre-shave oil felt great and worked quickly; you can see the results in the mirror immediately. You don’t need a ton of it and it has a non-invasive, classic scent that smells great.

Shave

Dove gives you two choices for shaving cream.

Smoothing Shave Cream ($21.99) – This cream was the lighter of the two and had a silky smooth, ribbon-like texture. Ideal for a quick shave, or post-workout at the gym.

Total Comfort Shave Cream ($25.99) – Total Comfort was thick and rich with a whipped cream consistency. When you pay for premium shaving products, this is what you expect. It is a literal cream in every sense of the word.

Post Shave

Post-Shave Repair Balm ($25.99) – One thing I absolutely hate is a post-shave product touted as a moisturizer that actually dries your skin out because it has either too much alcohol, menthol or water. You put some on and 20 minutes later your skin has dry patches and you feel about as lubricated as the Tin Man.

My skin felt fantastic every time I shaved with these products. The Dove Expert Shave Range has been carefully formulated to address all aspects a man encounters before, during and after a shave, and you can really feel it.

If you’ve never used a high-end multi-faceted shaving system, the Dove Men+Care Expert Shave Range is the perfect entry level product for a man most familiar with lower cost gels found at the drugstore.

Shaving is a ritual that should be enjoyed, not sped through on the way to the next life event. And now, Dove has given you the tools to enjoy it.

For more information, check out Dove Men+Care on Twitter and on Facebook. Feel free to use the hashtag #ExpertShave liberally, as you would with any of the Dove products.

Is it a shaving cream? Is it a face wash? The new shaving cream and face wash from Evolution Man is literally both, combined into one.

In a natural progression based on a man’s need for clean skin and an effective shaving cream, Evolution Man was born. If you have to do both anyway, why not just combine them? This is the foundation that the brand was built on.

When I first applied the cream into my hand, I feared it may be overly gloppy. But the thickness allowed it to function as a facial scrub for cleaning, which in turn softened and opened my skin for shaving.

After my shave, my skin felt crisp and exfoliated, even beyond the normal feeling that I would typically experience after a shave. It was potentially the fastest shave I have ever completed. Not because speed is king, as it is in the NFL, but because there was no mess and my razor seemed to move with atypical ease.

Several hours post-shave, my skin retained a baby-like smoothness and felt tingly, like it was energized somehow. Even on areas I didn’t shave, like my forehead, the cleansing effect it had on my skin was noticeable.

All the oil my forehead had accumulated after a long two days of wrenching on my kitchen sink was removed effectively, beyond what even a cold, saturated wash cloth could accomplish. And it didn’t dry my skin out — it wasn’t that kind of tightness. Instead, it was the kind you get that leaves you feeling fresh with the confidence that you look good.

The orange scent of the product was a nice touch. The aroma of the essential oil left me feeling relaxed and happy. The cream is “derived from the peel of fresh oranges it work as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antioxidant super star.”

The product itself isn’t the only thing that has evolved; the packaging it came in also represents the next phase in men’s grooming products, as each tube is made with post-consumer recycled materials.

Is it a shaving cream? Is it a face wash? EvMan’s Shaving Cream and Face Wash is a high-end, highly effective grooming product that is pushing the limit of what we expect from our shaving and skin care experiences. Strike the “s” from ‘experiences”; they are now one in the same.

When I’m cleaning my face, I want a system. I don’t want to approach the situation haphazardly, like the parents on MTV’s hit TV show “Teen Mom.”

Let’s be frank — and yes, you “can still be Garth.” Your face skin is essentially your billboard to the world. And what does this billboard promote? The business of You, Incorporated.

If your face looks blotchy, dry, flaky, weird, or any other adjective that would describe a rabid Russian dog, scrounging the public subway system for scraps, you probably don’t want to look like that. You probably don’t want to look like Gorbachev, either.

You, Incorporated is coming off of another great fiscal quarter, but how do you maintain the momentum and feed all the families who depend on your face? By trusting a known commodity when it comes to building the brand of You. If you’re breathing, you’re branding, and if you’re washing your face and the rest of your body, you better be using the new cleansing system that is the 2013 Dove Men + Care line.

In a word, the Dove Men + Care line is stout. Dove has really covered all aspects, from shaving, to cleansing, and everything in between. Check out the list of products I received:

– Cool Silver Deodorant

- Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

- Aqua Impact Body + Face Bar

- Aqua Impact Body And Face Wash

- Hydrate + Post Shave Balm

- Hydrate + Face Wash

- Sensitive + Shave Gel

- Sensitive + Post Shave Balm

- Sensitive + Face Lotion

My inclination when I started writing this review was to mention my favorite product, and then spend equal time on the one I liked the least. But honestly, I liked them all. Plus, it’s impossible to single them out, because they are all pieces of the same entity.

Sure, you could use the Hydrate + Face Wash on its own and love it, but after you’ve ripped open your face skin, the Sensitive + Face Lotion compliments the wash so well, it would just be a shame to not use both. Sure, the Miami Heat would be a great team with just LeBron James, but when you add Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, it makes a great situation fantastic.

Same thing with the Sensitive + Shave Gel. I put it on my skin, and when I shaved, it didn’t feel like a gel, but more like a cream. When I was done, I added the Sensitive + Post Shave Balm. Not only did my skin feel renewed, invigorated and refreshed, but it just looked cool. I felt good and knew I looked good, which is great, because You, Incorporated is always on the lookout for potential investors. Like NBA stud Dwyane Wade:

None of the products made my skin feel or look greasy feel dry or scratchy. Along those same lines, there wasn’t an overuse of perfume or overpowering scent, either. It was complete refreshment, delivered in a simple, straightforward way.

Come to think of it, the entire Dove Men + Care line of products felt exactly how the design of the bottles looked: crisp, clean and smooth. Which is exactly how the business of You, Incorporated should run. If your business needs a little kick in the pants, try the new line of products from Dove Men + Care by following this link.

Dr. Allan Peterkin is a physician, author and professor. He has published 14 books, most recently The Bearded Gentlemen: A Style Guide To Shaving Face, and is currently working with Dove and their new Men+Care Face Range, a full line to help dudes care for their faces.

Recently, I sat very close to Dr. Peterkin as we stroked our beards in a sexually suggestive manner in unison, and asked him the following questions.

BE: “Beardsmith” that you are, what’s the best way to kiss my old lady with passion, yet not drag my stubble or goatee across her skin, to the point where she says it feels “exfoliated” after we’re done?

DR. PETERKIN: Some call that a “snog burn,” snog being the English word for kiss. The best advice I can give you is work on your angle and your approach, and moisturize your face often to keep it as soft as possible!

Your book is called The Bearded Gentleman: A Style Guide to Shaving Face and One Thousand Beards. What is the number one mistake most aspiring “beardsmen” make?

DR. PETERKIN: The number one mistake men make is that they think their grooming work is finished once they’ve grown a beard. Facial hair requires a lot of maintenance; men have to make a commitment to their beards! They need to be trimmed properly and their margins kept clean. Washing and moisturizing also helps to keep the facial hair clean, and to condition it, which is crucial. I like the new Dove Men+Care Face Range, which provides products specifically designed for men and offers a three step solution: cleanse shave, and finish. You can use the Dove Men+Care Face Wash to clean your beard and the Face Lotion to condition or soften it.

BE: What is the professional opinion regarding the soul patch? I’ve been known to sport one, a blonde one. Should blonde dudes just not wear facial hair? Why do blonde mustaches look so weird, a la Larry Bird in the ’80s?

DR. PETERKIN: I often think of the term “flavor saver” in relation to the soul patch. I think the soul patch is a fun form of expression, probably most appropriate for younger guys. Facial hair has become more mainstream and acceptable, but I’m not so sure we’re there yet with the soul patch.

An issue some guys have with their blonde hair is that it doesn’t tend to grow in fully. Blonde facial hair can have uneven or patchy growth. Being a blonde myself, I suggest choosing a style after seeing what grows in most, and where, but don’t be too concerned about the color of your hair. Just play to your strengths!

BE: How can I pick up chicks using just my “beardsmanship”?

DR. PETERKIN: That is a tough one and it’s a matter of taste. Women seem to be split – some really like facial hair, others do not like it at all. Toss a coin, and if you’re going to have facial hair, wear it proudly.

BE: What is your stance on guys who have so much chest hair that it naturally flows into the beard area? Should there be a distinct line of demarcation?

DR. PETERKIN: I think it would look better to have a distinct line of demarcation, somewhere between the chin and the Adam’s apple. Men should shave the neck and lower edge of the beard, and leave their chest natural.

BE: In your opinion, either living or dead, who had the most badass facial hair in history?

DR. PETERKIN: I think I would have to say either Santa or Satan. Kidding. By category, I’d choose Salvador Dali’s mustache and Elvis’ sideburns. My favorite religious beard is Moses. I’d say one of my all-time favorites is romantic Composer Giuseppi Verdi’s beard.

In the heart of the current political season, and in the interest of full disclosure, I must say that I have always been pro-Gillette throughout my personal shaving career.

It started way back in the mid-nineties, when I fell in love with the Gillette Mach 3 right out of Harvard Law. Three blades at the time was revolutionary (not as progressive, but certainly more moderate than the Schick Hydro 5 Power Select and it’s five blade setup) and I used it faithfully for years.

That being said, I was totally unaware and fully surprised when I recently received the Gillette ProGlide Styler for review. So rest assured, this review comes to you as the result of a fully non-partisan effort.

The 3-in-1 features the ability to shave with the Fusion ProGlide Power Blade, the Power Trimmer to trim your facial hair or beard, and the Precision Edging Blade to make crisp, defined lines to finish your cut or look of choice.

Right out of the box, I immediately liked the weight, feel and contour of the tool to fit in your hand.

The Precision Edging Blade is a great touch and totally removes the need for a separate tool to tighten up you sideburns, mustache, beard or just your look in general.

The Power Trimmer came with three adjustable attachments to trim up a beard or sideburns, but you could just as easily use it for some spot manscaping or even to trim a wild hair on your head.

The coolest feature on the Fusion ProGlide Power Blade is the built in Microcomb at the base of the razor. This helps by guiding your hair to the blade so you can shave, even against the grain, in a more controlled, close manner. The razor didn’t feel as solid as I would’ve liked (it felt somewhat flimsy), but it gave me a very close shave.

While using it, I got the feeling that this is a great 3-in-1 tool for a person who does a lot of traveling. There are very few attachments to carry around and lose while on the road. Also, there is no need for a charger because it is battery powered. Switching attachments was somewhat difficult at certain points.

The ProGlide Styler is waterproof and is also contoured and coated in rubber, which means that it’s not only more difficult to drop should you be shaving with a wet hand, but it could also withstand said drop should it hit the sink.

The built in Organizer Case was also a nice touch to make keeping track of the attachments and interchangeable parts even easier.

Accompanying the ProGlide Styler was the Fusion ProGlide Shave Gel. Interestingly, the shave gel was actually clear and barely foams up in the sense of a more traditional shaving cream. It definitely made it easier to see the area you were shaving, so you can “see where to shave and edge more accurately”, which was true. There was no blind shaving, which was a great touch and definitely lent itself to the quick shave a man may need to undertake when he is on the road shaving in a hotel room for business.

The versatility is what any user of the ProGlide Styer will like the most. It is a quick and easy alternative to using separate tools for each shaving task.